Growing Together: How To Start A Community Garden

It’s the eve of Earth Day, and a great Earth Day project for kids, family and the community is to create a community garden. I would love to see Cayman come together and venture into creating community gardens. It’s a project I have been thinking about for some time now, and would love to hear from anyone interested in starting such a project, if that is you, please send an email to ecochiccayman@hotmail.com

Starting a community garden, can be a simple and fun project. First thing, plan out what herbs, fruits and vegetables you want to grow. Consider saving the seeds and planting trees. Before you toss a mango or avocado seed out, consider planting it in your backyard. Some great herbs that can be grown locally are: mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme and basil. Eco Tip: Spring onion, is super easy to grow. After you buy some from the grocery store, cut off the ends with the roots, and plant them straight into the ground, they grow super quick.

If you can get your neighborhood on board, to come together and start a garden that is fantastic! This project can also start out small, as a family project, a great way for kids to learn about eating healthy and the environment. Schools can even introduce the idea to kids, and start a vegetable garden at school.

Why Are Community Garden’s Important?

Community gardens are great for the environment, it allows for more local produce to be available. Everyone in the neighborhood can contribute to growing the garden, as well as benefiting from the fruits of labor. A community garden, also add’s value to a neighbor, by beautifying the area.

Community garden’s benefit not only the environment, by creating a sustainable food source which can be shared, but it also:

-Improves health and wellbeing
-Connects people, make new friends, learn from each other, teamwork
-Beautifies neighborhoods
-Reduces family budget on food costs,
-Great for recreation and exercise.

Anyone who wishes to start a community garden, or begin growing local produce in their backyard, I wish you all the best and lots of success!